Buggy-top support.



' No. 699,722. Patented May 13, I902. W. E. STRANGE. 1

BUGGY TOP SUPPORT.

(A licatiun filed Aug. 26, 19013 (No Model.)-

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UNTTEo STATES )ATENT @FFICE.

\VILLIAM E. STRANGE, OF MAGNOLIA, ARKANSAS.

BUGGY-TOP SUPPORT.

:BPECZEZCATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,722, dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed August 26, 1901, Serial No. 73,366. (No model.)

To aZZ 1072/0721, 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. STRANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Magnolia, in the county of Columbia and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Buggy-Top Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-top bowprotectors or bugg -top supports; and the objects of the same are to provide a simple and effective device of this class adapted to be applied to the folding top of any vehicle to protect the bows from strain and breakage during the operation of lowering them and when in lowered position and also to render the top noiseless when lowered and avoid the transmission of jars or injurious vibrations thereto; furthermore, to prevent rubbing, inarring, or wearing the bow to which the device is applied, and thereby obtain the desirable benefits of a yielding protector or topsupport without the disadvantage of injury to any portion of the top.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a buggy-top, showing the improved device applied thereto, the top being raised. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the top in lowered position and showing the improved device as supporting the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, in side elevation, of the improved device.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a buggy or other vehicle top, including a plurality of bows, as usual in this class of devices, and to the rearmost bow 2 the improved device is applied. The usual rail 3 is employed in connection with the bow, and to the front upward-extending terminal 4 thereof the several bows are pivotally attached, as in the ordinary construction. in this class of devices. The top has the usual brace 5, which is intermediately jointed and connects with the ordinary top-sections 6, having an operation and purpose which will be readily understood.- The lower end of the brace 5 is pivotally secured to a prop-bolt 7, which extends outwardly a sufficient distance to provide a supporting means for the top when lowered in a manner which will be presently set forth. The improved protector and supporting device comprises a resilient bar 7 of suitable thickness, havingits lower extremity 8 formed with a front pivot-eye 9 for pivotal attachment to the upwardly-extending terminal 4 of therail 3 below the pivotal point of attachment of each of the bows. The said extremity S of the improved device has its opposite flat faces in a plane parallel with the planes of the side faces of the bows, the said extremitybeing formed by giving the bar from which the improved support is formed a quarter-twist, and thereby permitting the said extremity S to be placed in alinement with the rear edge of the bow 2, so that the entire support will be directly behind the how 2 instead of at one side of the same. In other words, the improved device is so situated that there is no possibility of the rear bow striking the prop-bolt 7 when the top is lowered. Between the upper terminal of the extremity 8 and the upper end of the improved support a substantially S-shaped crook 12 is formed in the bar and located near the upper end of said support, so that the flat portions of the device in advance of the crook will contact with the bolt 7, and to cause the device to yield more sensitivelyand in a downward direction when the top is lowcred the portion of the crook 12 nearest the bow 2 will be open in the direction of the portion of the bar extending therefrom and continuing into the extremity 8. The part 13 of the support that continues upwardly from the crook 12 is given a considerable rearward curvature, so as to stand rearwardly a considerable distance from the how 2, and the upper end has an antifriction-roller 1O journaled therein, which bears at all times against the rear edge of the said bow 2. Extending forwardly from the upper end of the improved support is a leather or other flexible loop 11, which passes around the bow 2 and holds the roller 10 in engagement with the latter, but is sufficiently, loose to slip'over the said how 2 during the raising and lowering'operation of the top.

When the top is lowered, the upper end of the improved device correspondingly shifts longitudinally on the how 2 and the roller 10 overcomes any tendency to wear on the said bow,an'd,furthermore,the loop 11 holds the u pper end of the supportin positive operative relation to the bow. It will also be understood that when the top is raised the upper end of the support will also shift on thebow 2 with the same advantage in view of the particular construction set forth. As clearly shown by Fig. 2, the support bears upon the prop -bolt 7 when the top is lowered in advance of the crook 12, and the part of the latter nearest the how 2 will be engaged by said bolt, and a direct spring-support is thus produced, which will open in a downward direction and prevent the transmission of injurious shocks or jars to the top-and also remove all possibility of the top from striking the prop-bolt no matter what the conditions may be under which it is lowered. Furthermore, the improved support provides a positive antirattling device, and the parts of the spring-bar, as well as the particular mode of attaching the same, as set forth, not only prevent wear on the bow 2, but likewise preserve the spring-bar itself and prevent tendency toward injury thereto.

It will be seen that the portion of the bar 7 between the crook 12 and the rear terminal of the extremity 8 has considerable length, and the advantage of this provision is that a greater amplitude of spring'movement of said portion of the bar results when contact thereof is had with the prop-bolt 7, and this provision, in conjunction with the extended or' marked rearward curvature of the upper part 1301? the support, will cause said support to have a greater spring-cushioning effect, particularly in view of the fact, as heretofore explained, that the portion of the bar between the crook and the extremity 8 contacts with the prop-bolt 7. I am aware of the construction disclosed in the patent of E. H. Mason, No. 675,549, granted June 4, 1901, and have seen the said'patented support operated, and the main disadvantage of the said patented construction is that the non-resilient forward extremity thereof is of such length that only a short resilient intermediate member is pro vided between the rear terminal of the said non-resilient front extremity of the patented device and a non-resilient bar carrying the bow-engaging loop, and said short non-resilient intermediate member will not afiord sufficient amplitude of spring movement to the part or intermediate short resilient member to avoid shocks or jars, which will be perceptiblyfelt when the top is lowered and contact of the support is had with the prop-bolt. Moreover, in view of the limited movement of the short resilient intermediate member of the Mason device the vibration will have to be absorbed to a limited degree at least, and the only medium present is the movable attach-- ment of the upper terminal of the support, which will be caused to move laterally around the bow with which it engages in view of the torsional twist set up by the said short resilient intermediate member when the supports strike the prop-bolt. This loose movement of the upper end of the Mason support will cause the bow with which it engages to become seriously worn and scrape d. the Mason construction the forward open portion in the crook is located over and above or in front of the part of the support which contacts with the prop-bolt, and hence the said crook cannot open downwardly or give, as in the present construction, which'has the crock in reverse position to that disclosed by the said patent.

The improved support can be easily applied in operative position and, being simple in its construction, can be manufactured and sold at a comparatively small expense. Another advantage is that no change is required in the usual vehicle-top construction to accommodate the application of the support.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. The combination with a vehicle-top, and a prop-bolt, of a spring-bar pivotally attached at its front end and having its rear extremity bearing against the rear bow, said spring-bar being arranged to engage the prop-bolt when the top is lowered and being provided with an approximately S-shaped portion, thefront portion of the spring-bar which rests upon the prop-bolt being located at the top of the S- shaped portion, and the rear portion of the spring-bar being located at the bottom of the said S-shaped portion and the latter being located in rear of the prop-bolt and adapted to be distended in cushioning the vehicle-top, whereby its resiliency is increased and the movement of the rear end of the spring reduced to a minimum, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vehicle-top, and a prop-bolt, of a spring-bar pivotally attached at its front end and havingits rear extremity bearing against the rear bow, said spring-bar being arranged to engage the prop-bolt when the top is lowered and being provided with an approximately S-shaped bend located in rear of the prop-bolt, the front portion of the spring-bar, which rests upon the prop-bolt, being located at the top of the S-shaped bend and the rear portion of the spring-bar being located at the bottom of the said bend, whereby the latter is distended in cushioning the vehicle-top and its resiliency increased, an antifriction-roller mounted on the'rear end of the spring-bar, and a loop extending around the front of the rear bow and holding the anti" friction-roller against the same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Furthermore, in

ICC

my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. STRANGE.

Witnesses:

A. J. THOMAS, S. LEWIS. 

